The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-11-24
OUR RURAL TOPICS,
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
REDUCING nonEs roR MANURE.

The IdTIn, tield dnd StOckmdH some time
since gave a simple way Of reducing bones to
powder, by first roughly breaking them and
then laying up in leach with three times
their bulk of ashes, and keeping the whole just
moist for three months, returning the drip
pings If any, from time TO time. The same rule
will apply to horn, hair, old woolens, and even
old leather. When the bones can be readily
broken down with a shovel, they and the ashes
should be mixed with five times their volume
of dry muck or loan, and applied at the rate Of
80 or 40 or more bushels per acre. Dr. Kedzie,
in a communication to the New York Tribune,
states that if bones are boiled for few hours
with twice their volume Of fresh wood ashes
and water to make the mixture semi-hu the
bones will break down to q fine mass in conse-
quence of the solvent action of the carbonate Of
potash on the organic matter of the bones II
wood ashes cannot be obtained, one part Of car
Donate Of soda--common sal-soda of the shops
and one part Of quicklime may be boiled with
five parts of bones, with sufficient water, till
the bones break down completely. The mass In
then to be mixed with dry loan or muck, as
previously stated.
The manner of reducing bones by laying up
with heating horse manure is also given, az
follows: Soak the bones In water till wet
through; then place layer two or three inches
thick on top of layer Of fresh horse dung six
to eight inches thick. Build up q compact
heap of alternate layers Of bones and horse
dung. Then wet down the pile with dung
water, urine, or even water, till you secure
enough moisture TO promote heating or ferment-
alton and prevent fireianging. If an odor of
ammonia be perceptible, cover the heap with a
foot of loan or muck. 1t is important to keep
the pile quite moist during the whole time. In
six TO nine months the bones become broken
down, and the whole may be shoveled over and
mixed ready for use.
THE WINTER DAIRY.
The dairy in Winter TO be profitable must be
carefully managed The dairy will never man
age ITSELF and whoever thinks that all there Is
TO do to be successful dairyman is to get q
COW and dreamer will soon be hopping about
and complaining Of his i'll success as dairy
man. IL is hard work 10 conduct a dairy
Some men whom we know have gone out of the
business simply because the work was too hard
But it is hard work TO achieve success in any
honest line of business. In Winter the price
of butter is good, at least good as compared
with other seasons of the year. The market is
ready for Us, and all we need to have is the
butter to sell. This We shall not have unless
our cows are comfortably cared for and we'll
fed. AS so often said by US, a COW cannot pro-
duce butter on nothing. In addition to good
hay, good corn fodder etc, the COW ought to be
fed well on equal parts of cornmeal, oats and
bran. No better ratio need be sought. Oil
meal is always good for the milch COW, but it
need not be fed while the food we have recon-
mended is at hand. With good cows, aud this
food, and modern dairy appliances, we can
make the Winter dairy pay.
MATING EWES FOR BREEDING.
Now is the time 10 turn the ram with flock
Of ewes TO have them drop their lambs in April
or early in May. If the ewes are all in good |
flesh, they will mate pretty evenly. When a
eve has mated with the buck, she should be |
placed in a separate Enclosure. Those so poor
that they refuse 10 breed are probably not
worth wintering. The late lamb which they
might be induced 10 breed will not be worth
much, and the eve n year from now will prob
ably depreciate in value The rspidity with
which sheep run down after passing their
prime is the greatest dra yback In the sheep
breeding industry.
LEAVING PARsNIH TO FREEZE.
1t is mistake 10 harvest parsnips too early.
This is crop which slight freezing decidedly
improves in quality, taking off rank taste
which roots grown on rich ground often have
Parsnips are often left in the ground all Winter
without being injured; but they must be got
out very early in the Spring, "a after new
growth begins the root becomes strong in taste
and even poisonous After one or two frosts,
enough should be got in the cellar to last
through the Winter, whom those left in the
garden cannot be dug. It is necessary to cover
them well with soil. TO prevent the roots from
drying up or the top from sprouting on account
Of too high temperature.
ECoNoMIzING HEAT.
Coal is advancing in price, and il behooyes all
who purchase fuel TO make il go as far as posi-
bic. There is much difference IN stoves in this
respect, some burning coal 10 ashes, with little
waste. A c0al-sfter 10 save the cinders ia an
important item in household economy. Quite
as important this is banking around cellar
walls and stopping the crevices above the base
ment by these means heat may be kept in
though II is not safe 70 do this at the expense
OF thorough ventilation. Many farmhOuses
built a few years ago, in flush times for money,
are larger than their owners now wish they
were. IL costs too much TO warm them, aside
from the debts too often incurred in their con-
structiOn.
KEEP THE STABLES CLEAN.
The stables In which our cows are kept
should be kept clean and the atmosphere should
be kept pure. The ordinary methods TO accom-
plish this are we'll enough known But we
are reminded by a contemporary Of the useful
ness of land plaster 10 aid in this work We
have never thought to recommend laud plaster
specially for cow stables. But the suggestion
is a good one. Plaster is an absorbent Indeed
that Is its principal use Scattered over and
through manure, IL not only aids in purifying
the air by its absorption, but preserves much
Of the fertilzing elements that would DO lost.
Ii would be good investment TO buy a few
barrels Of plaster for the COW stables and all
stables.
NOTES.
= To drive nails into very hard wood dip
their points In OIL
- The farmers wife is entitled to far more
credit than she receives
- Rye is one OF the hest things you can cow
for Fall, Winter aud Spring pasture
There is no class who have a better right
to own nice carriage and drive fine horses
than farmers.
i There are well authenticated instances of
alfalfa producing good crops, from 10 to so years
after the sowing.
The cultivation OF the bamboo for fencing
material has been begun IN California. Ii is
said that an acre will produce pickets enough
each year 20 make six miles OF fence.
Prof. Swenson. in charge of the sorghum
nwa.